The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-20
SUMPTER NICHOLS.
A Crazy Man Awaiting Trial for
Murder

A Crazy Man Awaiting Trial for
Murder.
From, the Albany GA Ne,cs aud Advertiser.
On Oct Z, 1885, Sumpter Nichols de-
hberately went to the home of William Jor-
dan, in Baker county, ana shot him dead
The murderer left for parts unknown, and
reward Of $3.50 for his capture and
delivery to the Sheriff of Baker county
was offered by the Governor. Some
time last year Thomas Robinson, of Baker
county, an uncle of Nichols, surprised the
Sheriff and everybody else by driving into
Newton with the fugitive and delivering
him into custody. Nichols was incarQer-
ated in the Baker comfy Jail, and Robinson
claimed and received the reward of $50,
800 of which he paid to Col. A L. Halves,
as a retainer to defend the prisoner in court.
For some reason Nichols was afterward
brought to Albany and committed to Jail
here for safe keeping. He is here vet, and,
hearing that he was crazy and that he had
been trying to kill himself, a representative
of the Nelcs and advertiser visited him in
his cell, yesterday, in company with Dr. w.
w. Bacon, the county physician. A
more complete wreck and altogether
pitiable object in the shape of
a man than the one that emerged from the
cell when the door swung open and DIR.
Bacon said, Come out, Nichols, - would be
hard to imagine. He came out with his
head bowed and with what at first appeared
to be downcast look, but the reporter soon
discovered that this was due to the effects
of the bright light into which he
had been suddenly introduced, rather
than to any disposition to avoid
the open stare of his own. He held his
| right hand over his brow for moment, and
then, raising his head, threw his large
round, piercing black eyes first upon the
doctor and then upon the reporter. An in
PRODUCTION from the doctor brought only an
| Indifferent nod from the prisoner to the
scribe
II was told that you wanted to see me"
! said the doctor
Eyes, sir; want you to give me some
! thing for my head" was the reply, as the
| prisoner knelt down by the light of a win
! dow The top of his head was great fes-
tering sore, with a raw place in the middle
about three inches long and two inches
wide across the middle. In the centre of
| this great sore was a round hole that looked
| like it had been dug out with some sharp
| pointed instrument 1t extended through
the skull, and bloody matter oozed out of it.
! All this was the result of q determined
effort, upon the part OF
! Nichols, short time ago, to
! kill himself. One morning when the door
! of his cell was opened, he rushed out into
| listers around the upper landing and plunged
himself head foremost 10 the steps leading
out of the lower hallway, distance of about
| fifteen feet, striking his head ON the steps,
| Finding that this fearful plunge had not ac-
| complshCd his purpose, he arose and COM
menced TO butt his head against the tank in
| which the prisoners battle in the lower hall.
| Being ovcrpowered and carried back into
! his cell, he then butted the wall until he
| had besmeared it with hair and blood, and
| a great puddle of blood had run down on
the floor He then procured piece of tim
| and twisted il into a gimlet-shaped instIrl-
ment, with which he bored the hole into his
skull. He was finally handcuffed and
chained so that he was powerless to carry
out his evident purpose to kill himself
Jailcr Cooper says that in all his life he has
never known more desperate determined
and persistent attempt at self-destruction
than was made by this man.
After being chained for some time Nichols
appeared to become somewhat rational and
was released from his chains, but the doctor
has found it difficult matter TO get his
scalp TO heal, for the reason that every now
and then he gets frantic and goes to butting
the wall again, or tears his scalp with his
finger nails
Yesterday morning Nichols appeared TO
be rational, but there can be no doubt about
his being crazy. Dr. Bacon said that his
mind seemed TO be clearer yesterday morn
ing than it had been at any time when he
had visited him since his attempted suicide
He also says that he became satisfied that
the man was crazy soon after he first saw
him, and that he notified the authorities OF
Baker county that he was crazy and ought
to be IN the lunatic asylum instead Of in Jail.
Under the circumstances, however, it
appears that nothing can be done in tine